The Devils got a first look at their main group in preseason Game 2, and the big takeaway was pretty simple: don’t rush to judge Anthony Mantha after one night.
Against the rival New York Rangers, New Jersey put out what looked like a mostly AHL-heavy opponent on the other side and still came away with a ho-hum showing. The Devils had their share of chances, but the top names clearly weren’t operating at full throttle. For players like Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier, the objective is straightforward: get their legs under them and stay healthy.
Mantha’s situation is different. He’s not just skating through preseason to shake off rust - he’s trying to build chemistry with yet another new team.
When he signed a two-year deal late in July, the Devils became his sixth NHL franchise. Last season, he produced a career-high 33 goals, which made him an intriguing piece for New Jersey to plug into a loaded forward group.
That kind of transition is nothing new for him. This season will be the fourth straight year he’s started with a new franchise, and that doesn’t even count the midseason move to the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023-24. He’s been around enough new locker rooms and new linemates to know this part of the job takes time.
The Devils also changed the look of their attack after adding Luke Evangelista, giving Sheldon Keefe plenty to sort through in the top six. New Jersey finally has real support around Hughes and Hischier, and now the challenge is deciding who fits best where. On the surface, the logic is obvious: Hughes and Jesper Bratt could use another finisher like Mantha, while Hischier and Timo Meier might benefit from a distributor like Evangelista.
Monday’s preseason game didn’t exactly settle anything, though. Mantha didn’t have his sharpest night, while Hughes and Bratt appeared to pick up right where they left off last season. Mantha, by contrast, looked like a player still figuring out where he belongs.
Still, that’s not a reason to panic. The Devils have already tried a bunch of different looks to maximize the Hughes-Bratt connection, and very little has clicked as cleanly as hoped.
Tyler Toffoli in 2023-24 was the closest thing to a workable solution, and Connor Brown last season got a look there too. Even then, it never felt fully solved.
Mantha may not be a perfect answer, but the Devils should give this plenty of runway. Evangelista doesn’t seem like the right fit on that line, and Mercer and Brown have already had their turns there as well.
Those options have limits. Arseny Gritsyuk is an interesting possibility, but he’s been thriving next to Cody Glass.
For now, the smart move is patience. Let the lines settle.
Don’t get caught up in October overreactions. If the chemistry still isn’t there once we’re picking out Halloween costumes, then Keefe can revisit the setup.
Right now, Mantha remains the best choice on the top line.
In Other News...
Devils Center Plans Could Be Delaying A Key Breakout Forwards Deal
The Devils center search has been one of the quieter themes of the offseason, but it has carried real weight as Sunny Mehta reshapes the roster after taking over for Tom Fitzgerald. New Jersey has already made a series of notable moves, including trades involving Jacob Markstrom and Simon Nemec, while also adding multiple forwards in an effort to balance the lineup and deepen the middle of the ice.
That focus has also spilled over into contract planning for Cody Glass, who gave the Devils a useful scoring boost with 20 goals last season and is still without a new deal. League chatter has tied his situation to New Jerseys attempt to chase Barrett Hayton from the Utah Mammoth, and with Glass headed toward unrestricted free agency next offseason, the timing could matter just as much as the player. How the Devils sort out the center spot may end up shaping not just the lineup, but one of the more important forward negotiations on the board. [Read more 🡒]
Dawson Mercer Suddenly Faces A Devils Role That Could Define Him
The Devils spent the offseason reworking their attack, bringing in Anthony Mantha and adding Luke Evangelista and Evan Rodrigues in a trade to deepen the forward group. In the middle of all that change sits Dawson Mercer, a player who has been one of the lineups constants since his NHL debut and has offered steady offense along the way. Now he is projected to slide to right wing on the third line with Rodrigues and Arseny Gritsyuk, a spot that looks different from the kind of all-purpose role he has held before.
Mercers value has never really been in doubt, but his place in the Devils forward puzzle suddenly is. With the roster deeper and the competition for ice time tougher, this could become the kind of assignment that says a lot about how the team views him going forward. If he settles in there, it will help answer whether he is still being developed as a key piece or simply asked to fit into whatever role best supports the new look around him. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Let A Once-Promising Prospect Slip To An East Rival
Samu Salminens move to Florida is a reminder of how quickly a prospects path can change when the depth chart shifts underneath him. The former Devils prospect signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Panthers, and he is expected to begin in the AHL with the Charlotte Checkers as he tries to restart his climb.
For New Jersey, the departure comes after Salminen was not retained by the Utica Comets amid roster changes and a crowded center position. There is no immediate NHL role waiting for him this season, but the switch to an Eastern Conference rival gives him a fresh landing spot and leaves the Devils to watch a player they once had in the system continue his development elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]